“Pushmen, a fusion of metal, noise rock, and hardcore, have opened for both Exhumed and Deafheaven in the past year. No, that’s not a factual error. They really have played both bills. (Exhumed probably gets tired of Suffocation clones anyhow.) Pushmen’s sound is flexible– heavy enough for more serious bills, catchy enough to make most blackshirts loosen themselves up, psych enough to where you’ll get a contact high, and with enough skronk to mesh in with the punks. The Sun Will Rise Soon on the False and the Fair, released earlier this year on the End, showcases their sound to a larger national audience.

“We’ve always been music obsessives, we make music for other music obsessives, and if you’ve got metal, punk, hardcore, noise, rock n’ roll – we basically try to work in the gutters of all of that shit,” said vocalist Craig Moore.

They’ve also got plenty of experience as local warriors, with members previously playing in Ratking and Employer Employee. Moore explains how the close-knitness of the Austin scene, odd for a city of its size, nourished the metal and hardcore scenes, especially back when they were straight-edge kids.

“We’re all gonna go eat at this vegan restaurant, then we’re gonna go to the show, then we’re gonna go swimming. If you’ve think you’ve found the right people with the shit you want to be into– fuck yeah, I’m in,” he said.

“Herd mentality,” guitarist Joey Cortez butted in, with laughs.”

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There’s much more to read about PUSHMEN and the history of the Austin music scene over at Pitchfork’s Show No Mercy Scene Report: “In the third installment of a series of reports from America’s most exciting metal locales, Andy O’Connor talks to Austin bands, promoters, and club owners to document what’s going on deep in the heart of Texas.” Find it HERE.